U.S. Rep. Ted Yoho

He jumped on the birther wagon

Rumors that Barack Obama was not an American citizen started back in 2008, when he was campaigning to be the Democratic Party’s presidential candidate. Citing Obama’s failure to produce an original birth certificate showing his place of birth, critics claimed he had something to hide, mainly, that he was born in Kenya, a “fact” which would have made him ineligible to serve as president. In response, Obama’s campaign released a record of live birth issued by the state of Hawaii. Seven years later, however, after Obama won the election in 2008 and re-election in 2012, conspiracy theorists still maintain the document is fake. In August, U.S. Rep. Ted Yoho, of Florida’s 3rd District, spoke at a Gainesville town hall meeting, telling attendees he’d support a bill investigating the authenticity of the president’s birth certificate, stating, “… if it is true, it’s illegal, he shouldn’t be there, and we can get rid of everything he’s done.” Yoho, a freshman Republican who represents several whole counties and parts of others in North Florida including Clay County, also said he believes the tax on tanning beds as found in the Affordable Care Act is racist against white people because people with darker skin don’t need to tan.